BLOG ENTRY 11 - 10.15.2020

This week I had set my mind on working on the Inventory system, as loot is obviously one of the more important parts of an RPG. Since I am but one Man, the number of items and weapons I’m going to design is small, compared to other similar games like Borderlands, Destiny and Diablo. Those are games with AAA budget and staff, that can work on making a bunch of items to fill up with content. I however intend to make each of the small number of weapons feel different in some way. There is no point in me making 3 different rifles that feel exactly the same. So I have to maximize my possibility space by really thinking about the Risk-vs-reward for each weapon, what kind of mechanical test is each weapon providing, and so forth.

But before I can do that, I need to work on the backend of the inventory and equipment system. I am working with the Ryan Laley tutorial series on youtube. It is so helpful going step by step and learning how things work. For now I am working on the render for the player character before I start creating all the items. Hopefully I’ll have some more progress in the coming week

Another thing I was working on yesterday, while not as important as the inventory in it’s current prototyping stage, was adding a little bit of polish. I started learning how to add camera shake and Sound FX. I wasn’t able to upload a video but there are sounds coming out when I dash and shoot. Just imagine it goes “pew pew pew” and “Whoosh”

Camera Shake Basics and Sound FX - Pew pew pew! Whoosh!

For now I really don’t want to overdo it with the camera shake. It can make you dizzy and even give you headaches if it’s too much, our eyes aren’t designed to move like that. It’s gotta be just enough to make you feel the action was taken. I’m actually quite happy with the dash, it looks sufficiently shakey without making you nauseous.

I’m trying hard to finish all the bits this october. If I plan to look for support or funding It should look and feel a little better. I’m hoping to at least have all the essential pieces of the game in a working state, even if it is just in greyboxing.

The things I want to finish are the loot and inventory system, as well as my ultimate foe, the Cover system. I have attempted several UE4 Marketplace assets, but they aren’t as good as I had hoped, so I have to really make it from scratch for it to work the way I want it to. DIY I suppose. I believe my understanding of line traces is improving So I’m getting close, but as I’ve been told several times, It’s a complicated subject.

Well I’m gonna sign off for now and keep going with the inventory tomorrow. All I need to do is follow the tutorials and hope for the best.

Pew pew pew… Whoosh…

Daniel “Freaky” Aguilar

Game Designer

Plasmapunk Studios

Shakin' in my space boots